Welcoming the steady progress made by the Liberian government in rebuilding the country, the United Nations Security Council took the decision, set out in Resolution 2288 (2016) of 25 May 2016, to lift the remaining sanctions against Liberia. On this basis, the Federal Council has decided to repeal the corresponding ordinance with effect from 6 July 2016.
In response to the civil war raging in Liberia, the United Nations imposed an arms embargo on the country in 1992. From 2001, the UN Security Council stepped up the restrictive measures by imposing financial sanctions and travel restrictions on certain private individuals and companies, as well as trade-related measures against Liberia, particularly on trade in rough diamonds. These measures were adopted by the Federal Council in 2001 in an ordinance on measures against Liberia. In light of subsequent political developments in Liberia, the ordinance was subsequently amended on a number of occasions: the measures on trade in rough diamonds from Liberia were lifted in 2007, and the financial sanctions and travel restrictions were lifted eight years later, in 2015. Since then, the ordinance has only provided for an arms embargo.
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